Assyrian Neo-Aramaic phonology
Phonology Assyrian Neo-Aramaic has 22 consonants and 3 vowels. The consonantal phonemes are: Consonants * The pharyngeal , as heard in ayin (ܥ), is a marginal phoneme that is generally upheld in education or religious speech (such as by Assyrian priests in church mass) and in hymns. Among the majority of Assyrian speakers, ayin (occurring in words) would be realized as diphthongs or , and even /ɛ/, depending on the dialect. However, the letter itself is still usually uttered with .Brock, Sebastian (2006). An Introduction to Syriac Studies. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 1-59333-349-8. * Unlike the other Semitic languages (including Chaldean Neo-Aramaic), the pharyngeal is nonexistent. * is a phoneme only in the Tyari dialects. In most of the other Assyrian varieties it merges with .Rudder, Joshua. Learn to Write Aramaic: A Step-by-Step Approach to the Historical & Modern Scripts. n.p.: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011. 220 pp. ISBN 978-1461021421 Includes the Estrangela (pp. 59–113), Madnhaya (pp. 191–206), and the Western Serto (pp. 173–190) scripts. * and are strictly used in the Tyari and Barwari dialects, which respectively merge with and in standard Assyrian (Iraqi Koine/Urmian) and other Ashiret dialects. * In the Urmian dialect has a widespread allophone (it may vacillate to for some speakers). * In some Urmian and Jilu speakers, may merge with into . * In the Urmian and some Tyari dialects, merges with into . * may be merge with into in Urmian and Nochiya speakers. * is a marginal phoneme that occurs in some words, albeit only for some speakers. For others, it is realized the same as . * In some Tyari dialects (such as Ashita), may be realized as . This is a feature also present in Chaldean Neo-Aramaic.*Beyer, Klaus (1986). The Aramaic language: its distribution and subdivisions. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht. ISBN 3-525-53573-2. Vowels Vowel phonemes of Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (Standard Urmian/Iraqi Koine) are as follows:Coakley, J. F. (2002). Robinson's paradigms and exercises in Syriac grammar (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 10–14 ISBN 978-0-19-926129-1. * can be realized as either open-mid or close-mid . The Urmian dialect would generally diphthongize to . * may be realized as in the Tyari, Barwari and Baz dialects. * (a schwa) is mostly realized as in the Tyari and Barwari dialects. * may be realized as in the Tyari, Baz and Barwari dialects. The Urmian dialect may diphthongize to . * may be diphthongized to in the Tyari dialects. * , which is normally central , is usually front in the Urmian and Nochiya dialects. For some Urmian speakers, may be used instead. In some Jilu speakers, this vowel is mostly fronted and raised to . In the Tyari and Barwari dialects, it is usually more back .Robinson, Theodore Henry (1915). Paradigms and exercises in Syriac grammar. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-926129-6. * may also be realised as , depending on the speaker. It is more rounded and higher in the Urmian dialect, where it is realized as .Brockelmann, Carl (1895). Lexicon Syriacum. Berlin: Reuther & Reichard; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. Two basic diphthongs exist, namely and . For some words, many dialects have converted them to e'' and ''o respectively. Phonetics of Iraqi Koine *Iraqi Koine, like the majority of the Assyrian dialects, realizes as instead of . *''Iraqi Koine'' generally realizes the fricatives , /}} in words like "ma't'''a" (''village in English) and "r'qa'd'''a" (''dancing) as stops , }}. * Predominantly, in words like "'q'alama" (pen) doesn't merge with . *The diphthongs and in words like "q'ay'ta" (summer) and "t'aw'ra" (cow) are realized as long and , respectively.Sabar, Yona (2003). "Aramaic, once a great language, now on the verge of extinction," in When Languages Collide: Perspectives on Language Conflict, Language Competition, and Language Coexistence, Joseph, DeStefano, Jacobs, Lehiste, eds. The Ohio State University Press. *The diphthong in "b'ey'ta" ('house') realized as . *The diphthong in z'uy'zeh (money) is realised as . * in verbs like "'ch'i'akhla" (she eats) is realized as . References